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Rebuilding Lives
Tsunami Rehabilitation Initiatives
The tsunami that hit the eastern coast
of India and other parts of South and South-East Asia
on 26 December 2004 has wiped out several lives and
more importantly affected the lives of the survivors.
There is tremendous loss to livelihoods, shelter and
agriculture land. In order to help rebuild the lives
of the Tsunami affected people, CEE would be initiating
an integrated multi-sectoral, rehabilitation programme
leading to sustainable livelihoods and disaster preparedness
in the Tsunami affected villages of Tamil Nadu, Andhra
Pradesh and Pondichery. The thrust of the activities
will be:
1. Intensive area specific programmes
in 3 clusters of about 20 villages each: Through these
programmes, CEE will undertake people-centered, community-driven,
participatory initiatives in the areas of housing, improvement
of infrastructure, access to good quality education
and health, and enhancement of livelihoods. The effort
will be to strengthen local institutions, e.g., the
panchayats, and also to undertake capacity building
initiatives for individuals and institutions, and initiating
self-help groups. The long-term objectives of the intervention
would be towards sustainable development of the villages-ensuring
a better environment, a better quality of life, and
better livelihoods.
2. Fishing-based livelihoods: Since
the most affected communities are those whose livelihoods
are fishing dependent, there will be a specific focus
on understanding how to strengthen these livelihoods
and make them more sustainable. From making better fishing
nets, to technologies for preservation to market linkages-all
of these concerns will be addressed, with the effort
to bring in the best technologies, processes and expertise
to the project villages.
3. Waste management and Sanitation:
Issues like waste management and sanitation are not
often adequately addressed in post-disaster scenarios.
CEE would undertake initiatives in these critical areas,
including setting up of toilets, ensuring environmental
sanitation, better management of bio-degradable and
non bio-degradable wastes
4. Internship: An internship programme
for youth-students at under-graduate and post-graduate
level-is being developed, which will allow the students
to work hands-on in tsunami-affected areas, as well
as gain an overall understanding of sustainable development
and disaster rehabilitation. This will be a 6 week programme
which will be offered in the summer of 2005 and will
be open to selected young people from India and South
Asia.
5. School Education: Following a disaster,
there is significant disruption of school education.
Not only is physical infrastructure destroyed, but because
of disruption of life, there is a significant increase
in drop outs and some of the affected children may never
go back to school. Initiatives will be taken up not
only for physical reconstruction of schools, but towards
improving the quality of school education, through close
interaction with school administrations, teachers, students,
etc. Ideas for a mobile school and an exhibition for
schools and the community on understanding tsunami and
preparedness are being developed.
6. Andaman & Nicobar Islands:
Preliminary studies are on to see the type of initiatives
that can be taken up in the ecologically sensitive A&N
Islands, both with respect to both the tribal peoples
and conservation of the natural environment.
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